Sam - Rafa humiliated us

17 April 2009 12:32

Sam Allardyce has launched a scathing attack on Rafa Benitez in the wake of Blackburn's 4-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield last Saturday.
Allardyce has accused the Spaniard of being 'disrespectful' and 'humiliating' over gestures he made on the touchline after Fernando Torres had headed the home side into a two-goal lead before the interval.
Television replays showed Benitez shrugged his shoulders and then crossed his hands, which Allardyce has taken to mean that the Reds boss felt the game was already over, even though there was almost an hour still to play.
Relegation-threatened Rovers, who were second best throughout the match, were missing several players through injury and employed centre-back Chris Samba in a lone striking role.
Allardyce claims he attempted to speak to Benitez about his actions after the game but could not make contact with the Spaniard and has been left fuming by the incident.
Humiliating
He told Sky Sports News: "It's not out of our system for two reasons. One is the disappointment at the way the team performed. I know we had a lot of injuries on the day, but I still felt that we should have gone there and done better than we did.
"And two, is the unfortunate gestures from Rafa Benitez after the second goal. I wanted to clarify his gestures. I think you'll see them as pretty dismissive to me and to Blackburn Rovers' team as a whole.
"I think they are disrespectful and quite humiliating.
"I waited to have a word with Rafa Benitez in his room after the game but as usual, and unfortunately, he didn't turn up.
"I was hugely disappointed by those gestures and having re-looked at them this week I think I'm right and I think everyone will see why I'm complaining."
When asked if he felt Benitez was writing his side off, Allardyce replied: "That was the feeling by the gestures. It was an open arms and a cross-over of arms as if that was it.
"The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager trying to do, what seemed to be, an undermining gesture."